


This is Our Drama | Taegyu

by soft_universe



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Barista!Soobin, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Romance, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Sneaking Around, idol!beomgyu, idol!hueningkai, idol!yeonjun, taegyu, violinist!taehyun, yeonbin subplot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27573383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_universe/pseuds/soft_universe
Summary: It seems like everyone loves Choi Beomgyu. He's an idol, he's handsome, he's charismatic, and he's the top of the senior vocal class. He and his best friend Huening Kai are always the talk of the school, known for being funny and popular on top of being in Bighit Entertainment's boy group Blue Hour.Yes, everyone loves Beomgyu...except Taehyun.Top of the senior strings class and on the path to becoming a professional violinist, Taehyun is clever, witty, and sweet. He's hardworking and focussed, and he has succeeded in avoiding Beomgyu since he came to Gangnam Academy for the Performing Arts two years before. He doesn't understand the hype, and besides, he has more important things to worry about.Taehyun is sure he's going to make it to the end of high school without ever saying a word to Beomgyu, until the head of the music department decides to host a graduation concert with all of the senior music students. With countless rehearsals and quiet after-school practices, the two finally have to spend some time together. And Beomgyu is determined to find out why Taehyun is the only person alive who doesn't like him.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 8
Kudos: 89





	1. You've Got to be Kidding Me

**Author's Note:**

> hello :) 
> 
> i've got a fun enemies to lovers story for you guys that i've been itching to write since the summer. we've got taehyun with a lot of angst in this one and beomgyu with a big fat crush on a boy who wants nothing to do with him, so it's gonna be a good time. also some yeonbin in a coffee shop au subplot because that's where my mind's at these days. welcome.
> 
> much love as always <3

Taehyun sat in front of a music stand with his violin on his lap. With great care, he ran a small cube of rosin along his bow, preparing himself for the day’s practice. Around him, the other strings students trickled into the band room, the cellists setting themselves up on the left side of the room, followed by the violas to the right, then the second violins, and finally the first violins in the right corner, where Taehyun sat in first chair –the place of the concert master.

Even though he’d been sitting there since the start of senior year, he still felt giddy at the title. Concert master: top violinist in the school. He still remembered that day in September when Mr. Kim, the head of the music department, had announced everyone’s performance positions for that year. Gangnam Academy for the Performing Arts was already a prestigious high school among the city’s aspiring musicians, but being named concert master meant that Taehyun was the top of the strings class, the leading violinist. It was a position that got him into the auditions for the best university music programs in the country, and it was one that he’d worked very hard to earn.

Next to him, the second chair position sat empty. A glance at the clock told him that there was one minute until class started. At the center of the students, who were now neatly settled in their orchestral semicircle, Mr. Kim was setting out his sheet music to conduct the class.

The bell rang, announcing the start of second period, and a girl with long purple hair flew through the door with her violin case.

_Right on cue,_ Taehyun thought.

The girl scrambled across the room and took her place next to Taehyun. As she sat down and pulled out her violin, Taehyun gave her a smile.

“Hey Minji, nice of you to show up” he joked.

Minji shot him a glare and smoothed out the skirt of her uniform so that she could sit and play comfortably.

“Shut up,” she said. “Do you know how far away my English classroom is? I swear I’m going to be in such good shape by the end of the semester because I’m literally going to have to _run_ here every day.”

“Might be good for you,” Taehyun laughed. “I know you hate exercising.”

Minji poked him with her bow. It was the first day of the new semester, and they were still getting used to their new schedules.

The two had been friends since childhood, taking lessons at the same private violin academy after school, then attending Gangnam Academy together when they were both accepted as freshmen. With her purple hair and the anime pins she wore on her uniform blazer, she had a reputation for being a bit weird. Still, there was no one he’d rather have as his second chair.

In that moment, Mr. Kim raised his conductor’s wand, signaling the beginning of class. Their teacher was a short man, but he always wore a crisp grey suit and striped tie with the Academy’s burgundy and navy colours. He had the kind of presence that commanded attention and respect, but a soft smile that earned him the affection of many students. The class went quiet.

“Good morning, everyone,” he said brightly. “I hope you all enjoyed your semester break and that you’re satisfied with your exam performance. And also, a huge congratulations –you’ve all made it to your last semester of high school.”

“Thank god,” Minji whispered. Taehyun tried not to laugh. It was amazing that she continued to get away with comments like that when Mr. Kim was barely three feet away from them.

“I’m sure you’re all eager to get your new sheet music, but first, I have announcement,” Mr. Kim continued. “At the end of the semester, we’re going to be hosting a special benefit concert to raise money to support underfunded schools in the city, and you guys, our senior music students, will be our star performers.”

Taehyun smiled. The graduating class always held some kind of concert to showcase their skills at the end of the school year, and he was looking forward to it. Representatives from the city’s universities came and made donations, and it was a chance to make a good first impression after acceptances went out.

Mr. Kim went on. “This year, our concert is going to be _extra_ special. Instead of just collaborating with the band students as we usually do, we’re going to have an additional segment where our orchestra will accompany the senior vocalists. Isn’t that exciting?”

Enthusiastic murmurs spread among the students, and Taehyun’s smile fell.

“The _vocalists_?” he whispered, glancing at Minji. “Is he serious?”

“Get over it, Taehyun,” Minji shot back. “You know it’ll be great for publicity. Think of how much money we’ll raise.”

Taehyun rolled his eyes. _So that’s why they’re doing this_ , he thought. There were two idols in the senior vocal class that year, Beomgyu and Kai from the boy group Blue Hour. Usually, the vocal class held their own concert, but Beomgyu and Kai –plus their third member Yeonjun –were quite popular with the public, and two of the members performing in the Academy’s concert was sure to get a lot of attention. That didn’t mean Taehyun had to like it, though.

“They get everything just because they’re famous,” Taehyun huffed. “Forgive me for not wanting to see Beomgyu’s face every day after school at practice when I already have to see it in subway ads on my way home.”

“Why are you mad? Don’t you appreciate a boy with a pretty face?” Minji teased.

Taehyun elbowed her. She was one of the only two people outside his family who knew he was gay, and he was appalled that this was what she was doing with that knowledge. He was grateful that the voices of students around him had drowned out her comment.

“I expected a bisexual like you to have better taste,” Taehyun whispered.

Minji shrugged, and Mr. Kim called the class back to order.

“Yes, I’m sure you’re all excited to have the entire graduating music class working together,” he said. “We’ll begin our daily after-school practices starting next week, so please familiarize yourselves with the sheet music before then. Now, let’s begin our class, shall we?”

Mr. Kim pulled out his tuner, and a clear A note rang through the room. The students began plucking at their strings, adjusting the tightness until they could match the sound. Minji smirked as she fiddled with the fine tuners on her violin.

“What’s so funny?” Taehyun asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “I just think it’s going to be an interesting semester.”

***

The next two periods went by quickly. Taehyun ate lunch with Minji after their strings class, and the two compared schedules. He was disappointed to see he didn’t have fifth-period music theory with her, not just because he enjoyed her company, but because that was the one class where she did better than him, and he liked to work with her. She wanted to be a composer more than a performer, so he supposed it only made sense.

Fourth period, Taehyun had English and Minji had composition, so the two separated for the day. It seemed that his classes would be uneventful, as they usually were on the first day of a new semester, and Taehyun was fine with that. He figured he could just let himself forget about the senior concert for the time being and relax for the rest of the day.

Then he walked into his theory class.

At first glance, everything about it was normal. It was a normal classroom with fluorescent lights, a tile floor, rows of desks, and a large white board at the front. The only thing that was very much not-normal was Beomgyu and Kai sitting on a pair of desks at the back of the room surrounded by a small group of students. Beomgyu was saying something in a funny voice, and everyone around them laughed.

Taehyun ignored the urge to roll his eyes and took a seat next to the window.

 _You’ve got to be kidding me_ , he thought to himself.

Four years at Gangnam Academy and he had somehow managed to avoid ever having a class with Beomgyu. To be fair, Beomgyu hadn’t joined the Academy until they were sophomores, and he hadn’t debuted until they were juniors. Before sophomore year, Kai was the only Blue Hour member to attend the Academy, and he was decidedly less insufferable because he was actually quite shy on his own. Then Beomgyu showed up and gained the adoration of the student body for reasons beyond Taehyun’s comprehension. He was a year older than the rest of his class after taking a year off for idol training, so he had that going for him, and he had quickly shot up to the top of the vocal class, likely because of that intense idol training. And Taehyun supposed he was good-looking, though he’d never admit to anyone. Still, why that warranted the level of popularity Beomgyu had was something Taehyun did not understand and did not want to.

Now, he was going to have to deal with Beomgyu not just once every day, but _twice_. He wanted to pull his hair out.

At the front of the room, a woman wearing an elegant navy pantsuit began writing out the day’s lesson plan on the board –it was Mrs. Sato, their music theory teacher. Upon noticing their teacher, the students began to take their seats, and much to his horror, Beomgyu slid into the desk directly behind him, and Kai in the desk directly to the left of Beomgyu.

Taehyun became very interested in what Mrs. Sato was writing and pulled out a pen and his notebook. He began taking notes, trying desperately to forget who was behind him, until he felt someone poke his shoulder. With a deep sigh, he turned around.

Beomgyu was smiling at him, a hand outstretched. “Hi. You’re Kang Taehyun, right? The Concert Master? We’ve never had class together before. I’m Choi Beomgyu.”

Reluctantly, Taehyun reached out to shake his hand. “Yeah, I know who you are.”

He was spared having to say anything else as Mrs. Sato began her lesson, and he prayed that he wouldn’t have to talk to Beomgyu again for the rest of class. He had no interest in being friends, especially since Beomgyu already had so many. He just wanted to pass his university auditions and graduate without any drama. With his fame, his school popularity, and stupid fluffy hair, Beomgyu attracted too much attention, and Taehyun wanted none of it.

When the bell rang at the end of the day, Taehyun gathered his things quickly, ready to make a beeline for the door. He almost made it out when he heard Beomgyu call after him.

“Hey Concert Master, you should have lunch with us tomorrow!”

“Sorry, already have plans,” Taehyun said, and then bolted out the door.

***

Back at Bighit, Beomgyu lay on his back on the practice room floor, groaning.

“He definitely hates me,” Beomgyu whined. “Why does he hate me? He doesn’t even know me.”

Kai was sitting next to him, patting his arm reassuringly, when Yeonjun walked in to join them. Their oldest member stood over Beomgyu and kicked his foot gently.

“What’s up with him?” Yeonjun asked.

Kai sighed. “Our Beomgyu is having a crisis because a boy at school turned down his invitation to eat with us tomorrow.”

Yeonjun bit his lip and tried not to smirk. “Beomgyu, you can’t make everyone like you, you know. And you can’t keep lying on the floor moping. We have a comeback to practice for.”

Beomgyu sat up, reaching his arms out, and Yeonjun pulled him to his feet. Kai shifted on the floor and started stretching.

“So, what happened, exactly?” Yeonjun asked gently.

Beomgyu pushed his hair off his face. “We found out that our vocal class is going to sing with the whole orchestra for the graduation concert, and the lead violinist is in our music theory class, so I thought we should be friends. I don’t think he likes me very much though.”

Kai stood up and patted Beomgyu’s arm reassuringly. “He just didn’t seem very talkative. Maybe he’s shy?’

“But everyone knows him,” Beomgyu said. “People say he’s really smart and witty. He can’t be that shy.”

Yeonjun put an arm around his shoulders. “Listen, I know you take it really hard when people don’t like you, but you shouldn’t worry about it. No obsessing, okay? Besides, it was just the first day of class. Maybe he’ll warm up.”

Beomgyu nodded, but his mind was already buzzing. He couldn’t fathom why Taehyun, who had never so much as spoken to him before that day, didn’t like him. _Everybody_ liked him. And there was something so intriguing about this violinist.

As he warmed himself up to dance, his mind kept wandering back to Taehyun. He had to find out why he didn’t like him, why he wouldn’t even give him a chance. As an idol, he was used to getting hate from people he didn’t know, and he tried not to let it get to him, but this was a boy from school who he was going to have to see every day. Maybe Taehyun had heard a rumour he didn’t know about, or he saw someone telling lies online. Maybe he didn’t like Blue Hour’s music. Whatever it was, Beomgyu had to know. Then he would get Taehyun to change his mind.

Beomgyu was going to make himself the nicest person Taehyun had ever known.


	2. Incompatible

Minji and Taehyun sat at a table in their large school library. They were a couple weeks into the semester, and the two had taken to eating lunch in the library regularly, partly because it was quiet, and partly because it gave them a chance to work on their music theory assignments together — which Taehyun appreciated since his dislike for the subject grew every day and working with Minji made it tolerable.

The study tables were lined up against the back wall of the library, where they were brightly lit by windows that spanned up to the full height of the room’s high ceiling. It was a peaceful spot to work, and it made Taehyun wonder why he hadn’t spent more time there in his previous school years.

Minji looked up from her planner, where she’d been recording new assignment due dates.

“Did you check your email yet?” she asked.

Taehyun picked his phone off the table and unlocked it. “I got the notification earlier, but I wanted to wait until I could open it with you.”

Seoul University had sent out audition dates to all the music students they were considering that day, but that also meant they had sent out the first round of rejection letters. SU had the most prestigious music program in the country, and they always sent out their audition requests last. It was the one everyone waited to hear about, and Minji had already texted him to say she was being considered for a spot. He had a good feeling about his own application, but he’d wanted to be with his friend when he checked anyway.

“Go ahead and open it!” Minji urged. “There’s no way they aren’t going to give you an audition.”

Taehyun took a deep breath and pulled the email up on his phone. He read the first three lines and looked up at Minji, a huge smile spreading across his face.

“I got the audition! I’m scheduled in for April!”

Minji jumped up and high fived him. “Yes! Ahh I knew you’d get it. They’d be crazy not to give you a chance. You’ve gotta tell Soobin right away.”

Soobin was Taehyun’s other best friend. He was two years older, but he was a talented flute player and had attended Gangnam Academy when Taehyun and Minji were freshmen and sophmores, so the three had become close. He was also a second-year performance major in SU’s music program and had given them both a ton of advice on their applications.

“I’m meeting him for bubble tea after rehearsal today,” Taehyun said. “I’ll tell him then so I can see his reaction in person.”

“So awesome,” Minji said. “I already texted him about my application, but he’ll be so happy you made it too.”

“Yeah. Now I just have to make sure I don’t fail theory.”

Minji laughed, then looked away. “Oh right. I forgot to tell you. I’m not going to be able to work on theory stuff with you for the next few days. I need to meet with my partner for our big composition project so we can work on it together.”

Taehyun nodded. He’d had composition the previous semester and knew what it was like.

“No problem,” he said. “Who’d you get paired with?”

Just then, the doors to the library squeaked open, and Kai and Beomgyu walked through. Before Taehyun could react, they walked right up to his and Minji’s table, and Kai reached out to give Minji a fistbump.

“Hey partner,” Kai said. “You ready to work on our project? I convinced Mr. Kim to let us borrow the piano in the practice room so we won’t just have to work with your violin to hear our song.”

“That sounds perfect,” Minji said as she stood and gathered her things to go. Turning back to Taehyun, she asked, “Are you gonna be okay without me?”

Taehyun laughed and waved her off. “I think I’ll live. Go work on your assignment.”

Minji nodded and left with Kai. Taehyun assumed Beomgyu would leave with them, but he slid into the seat on the other side of the table.

“Looks like your friend stole my friend,” Beomgyu said, grinning.

Taehyun did his best to not roll his eyes. For the past couple weeks, he’d been meticulously avoiding Beomgyu, which was turning out to be a futile task. Their lockers were in the same hallway, they both had most of their classes in the music wing of the school, and of course they had theory together every day, which was the only time Taehyun truly couldn’t escape. He’d even taken up Minji’s tactic of showing up to class right at the bell so that he wouldn’t have to talk to him before the lesson started. All that effort, and now here Beomgyu was, sitting across from him during what was supposed to be his free time. He wondered what kind of excuse he’d need to come up with to get away.

“Yeah,” Taehyun said flatly. “I guess so.”

Beomgyu appeared unfazed by Taehyun’s tone. “What were you two doing in the library anyway? It’s lunch time. Don’t you want a break?”

“We were working on theory,” Taehyun said defensively. “I need to do well if I want to get into SU.” _Not that an idol like you would care about getting into university anyway,_ he thought.

“Oh right, I heard they sent out all the audition dates today,” Beomgyu said. “You’re our concert master so I bet you got one for sure.”

Taehyun smiled a bit, then sighed. “Yeah, I got an audition. I still have to keep my grades up and practice though. SU is my best chance at getting into the Seoul Symphony Orchestra one day.”

“Of course,” Beomgyu said. “It’s like being a trainee. You’ll go and then at the end you’ll make your debut and play for everyone.”

Even though his words were kind, Taehyun felt a tinge of jealousy. _Easy for you to say. You’re already famous._

“Seriously though,” Beomgyu continued, “Kai told me he heard you play back when you were sophmores. He said he’d never seen Mr. Kim look so impressed. You’ll definitely make it into SU.”

Taehyun was baffled. He and Beomgyu barely knew each other, but here he was complimenting him when he’d never even heard him practice.

_What’s his deal?_ Taehyun wondered. _Why does he care?_

Before he could say anything more, two senior vocal students, Jiho and Seoyun, walked up started talking to Beomgyu.

“Hey Beomgyu,” Seoyun said brightly. “We just saw Blue Hour’s next comeback got announced today. The new logo looks so cool.”

Beomgyu smiled at them. “Thanks guys.”

“Yeah,” Jiho said. “And a few dancers are covering your last title track and we were gonna go watch them practice. Man, you’ve gotta come see it with us. I heard one of them is almost as good as Yeonjun.”

Beomgyu looked at Taeyhun and hesitated for a second before getting up. He told Taehyun he’d see him later, then left with the others. As they crossed the room to leave, Beomgyu glanced over his shoulder and mouthed ‘sorry’ back at Taehyun.

Taehyun shook his head. _What do you have to be sorry for? This is your life_ , he thought.

Genuinely, Taehyun didn’t understand why this idol was suddenly interested in his existence at all. Taehyun had his friends, and Beomgyu had his. Taehyun was used to minding his own business and improving his violin skills, and Beomgyu was used to people adoring him and being in the spotlight. They weren’t designed to be friends, and Taehyun couldn’t understand why Beomgyu was trying to pretend otherwise.

For the rest of the school day, Taehyun tried to focus on planning for his audition. He’d already been practicing a few pieces for his auditions at other schools, but his performance for SU needed to be special. There was also an additional requirement that he perform a piece he composed himself, and even though he’d worked on it with Mr. Kim and Soobin’s help during the previous semester, he was still nervous.

It didn’t help that Beomgyu was lingering on the edge of his mind, getting under his skin like a sliver. He should have been overjoyed about his audition, ready to throw all his energy into preparing, but here he was, distracted by attention he didn’t want and never asked for from a boy who annoyed and confused him on a daily basis.

Taehyun continued to ponder these things as he walked along the snowy street towards his favourite bubble tea shop after school. He was so consumed by his thoughts that he almost walked right passed Soobin, who was already waiting by the door when he arrived. Soobin smiled and called his name, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Long time no see,” Soobin said, opening the door to the café. “For a minute there you looked so lost in thought I didn’t think you’d notice me.”

Taehyun grinned and followed Soobin inside. They got in line to order and found that the café was busy but still cozy, warmly lit by hanging lamps and minimally decorated with wood accents and small plants — the perfect place to spend an afternoon catching up with a friend.

“Sorry for being spaced out,” Taehyun said. “The semester’s been…weird, so far. I’ll tell you about it when we sit down.”

Soobin nodded. They talked often, but with Soobin in his second year of university and Taehyun working towards graduation, they didn’t have time to meet up as much. When they did, they always had a lot to catch up on.

The two grabbed their drinks and slid into a booth in the back corner of the café. Soobin looked at Taehyun expectantly and gestured for him to speak.

Taehyun sighed and sipped his bubble tea.

Soobin laughed. “Well go ahead then. You can’t just say things have been weird and not tell me about it. Has Mr. Kim finally lost it? Is that it?”

Taehyun smirked. “I guess it depends on your definition of ‘lost it’. He decided that the vocal and instrumental students are going to perform together for the senior concert this year, so maybe you can count that as crazy.”

“That sounds like chaos, but it’ll probably be a great performance,” Soobin answered. “Aren’t there some idols in your year’s vocal class? You guys are bound to have a great turnout at least.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem,” Taehyun groaned. “It’s Kai and Beomgyu from Blue Hour. I guess they found out I’m the concert master and now Beomgyu won’t leave me alone. I have to deal with him every day in theory class because he sits right behind me and soon we’ll have rehearsals after school every day too. And now Minji is Kai’s composition partner.”

“What’s so bad about that?” Soobin asked. “I don’t know much about Blue Hour but Beomgyu seems nice enough from what I’ve heard.”

Taehyun took a big sip from his drink. “It’s just weird. I’ve never even interacted with him before this year and now he’s acting like we’re friends? It’s like everything is so easy for him and he’s an idol so basically everyone is in love with him. I don’t get it. Why spend all of theory class tapping me on the shoulder and asking me about stuff and bothering me at lunch when he pretty much anyone else would be more interested?”

Soobin stirred his bubble tea and gave Taehyun a look. “Sounds like you’re pretty interested too if it bothers you that much.”

Taehyun rolled his eyes. Besides Minji, Soobin was the only other friend he’d ever come out to, and like Minji, Soobin liked to tease him about any boy he thought Taehyun potentially had a crush on.

“You sound like Minji,” Taehyun said. “Of course I’m bothered. He’s just there all the time, every day. And then I go home and hear his voice on the radio.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit too judgmental about this?” Soobin asked. “You barely know him, so he might genuinely want to be friends. Maybe you should give him a chance. Not all idols are arrogant jerks.”

Taehyun made a face, but he supposed Soobin had a point. Beomgyu was popular, and being an idol got him a lot of privileges, but he wasn’t mean. He was a bit goofy and liked to play around to the point that it often annoyed Taehyun — who took most things too seriously — but he wasn’t stupid. As much as Taehyun hated to admit it, Beomgyu was probably better at music theory than he was.

“So, you think I should just try to be friends then?” Taehyun asked. “Somehow, I don’t think I’d fit in well with his legion of admirers.”

Soobin gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m not saying you need to be best friends or anything. I’m just saying you shouldn’t judge him before you get to know him.”

“I guess I could be a bit more open-minded,” Taehyun relented. “Since when are you so open about idols though? Back in high school you used to roast them a lot too.”

It was Soobin’s turn to sigh. “I guess I’ve actually met a few idols recently too. Ever since I got promoted to supervisor, I see a few idols who come in right at opening pretty regularly. I’ve even met Yeonjun a few times.”

Taehyun raised his eyebrows. Soobin had been working at a Starbucks just down the road from Bighit since he started at university, so he supposed it made sense that he would have run into a few artists, but this was the first time Taehyun had heard him mention it.

“Don’t idols usually have people to pick up their coffee for them? How does someone as famous as Yeonjun get away with that?”

Soobin shrugged. “I open the café so early that there’s usually no one around when I see him. He usually comes in when he goes out for a morning run or if his schedule starts really early. I kind of got the impression that he’s been doing it without telling his manager but that’s on him if he wants coffee that badly. He seems nice enough though.”

Taehyun shook his head, but he couldn’t keep himself from smiling a bit at the thought of Blue Hour’s lead dancer sneaking away from his manager at 6 am because he wanted Starbucks.

“Maybe some idols are actually okay after all,” Taehyun mused.

“Yeah,” Soobin said. “But enough about that. Minji texted me that the SU audition dates were announced today. You have to tell me you got one.”

Taehyun beamed. “I did! I’m scheduled for April, so I’ve still got a while to prepare. I’m nervous though. It sounded so intimidating back when you did it.”

“Don’t stress about your audition,” Soobin urged. “You have the skills, so all you need now is the emotion. The performance director cares more about being moved anyway. All you need to do is play from your heart and you’ll get in for sure.”

Taehyun nodded. At the Academy, Mr. Kim said that a good musician could play a complicated piece that was perfectly executed, but a great musician could play a simple piece and move their audience to tears. It was the way a player made their instrument sing from their soul that mattered most.

“I’ll do my best,” Taehyun said. “I think I just have to figure out what my heart wants to say first.”

***

Beomgyu sat next to Kai in the back seat of the van, drawing shapes on the fogged-up window and watching the streets of Seoul pass by. They were on their way back to the company, and Beomgyu kept running through the school day in his mind.

“Kai, I think I figured out why Taehyun doesn’t like me,” he said quietly.

Kai, who had been busy playing a game, set his phone down and turned to listen.

“It’s because I’m an idol,” Beomgyu continued. “I got him to talk to me a bit after you and Minji went to work on your project, but then Jiho and Seoyun came to talk me about our comeback and he just looked annoyed.”

Kai frowned. “But being an idol is who you are. Why even try to be friends if he’s just going to judge you for it?”

“I don’t think it’s just being an idol,” Beomgyu said, wiping away the smiley face he’d been drawing on the window. “You know what people think of us. They think we’re spoiled, or not real artists, or that we think we’re better than everyone else. If Taehyun thinks that I guess I can see why. Jiho and Seoyun asked me to go watch some of the dance students cover our song and I just left him alone. Some of the dancers are trainees and they wanted advice and Jiho and Seoyun are my friends. I couldn’t say no, but I didn’t have a chance to explain either.”

There was a moment of silence as Kai thought this over, the sound of the car filling the space between the two boys. Kai fidgeted a bit, playing with the zipper of his jacket, then he answered.

“Beomgyu, have you ever thought that maybe there’s a difference between when someone’s your friend, and when they’re your fan? You’re really kind, and I know you don’t want to let anyone down, but if you want Taehyun to be your friend you’re going to have to show him you care about him and that you aren’t just trying to collect another fan.”

Beomgyu swatted Kai’s shoulder. “What’s that supposed to mean? I care about everyone. Did Minji say something about it when you were working together?”

“No,” Kai said insistently. “I didn’t even ask her about it because it would have been insane. There’s no good way to be like, ‘So my best friend wants to be friends with your best friend even though your best friend doesn’t like him. Can you help me out?’ I didn't want her to think all I care about is using her to get to Taehyun. No. I’m just saying that if you want Taehyun to like you, you’ll have to be yourself — Choi Beomgyu, not just Blue Hour Beomgyu the idol.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Beomgyu said, sighing deeply. “It’s all just me.” 

Kai reached out to pat his friend’s arm. “Give it some time. He just needs to get to know you better.”

Beomgyu gave Kai a weak smile, then went back to staring out the window. They were driving along the Han River then, and he watched the water flow by. He did often wonder how many people at school would still want to be his friends if he wasn’t famous, and he didn’t want Taehyun to be one of those people. Taehyun was just himself, unfazed by fame or popularity or reputation, and Beomgyu admired him for that. In his heart, it made him want Taehyun to care about him like he cared about his music. It would mean his friendship was earned, and maybe that was all Beomgyu really wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys
> 
> i'm sorry i'm bad at updating. thank you for reading my stuff anyway <3 i hope it'll all be worth it in the end.
> 
> just wanted to add a quick disclaimer that even though i imagined this story to be set in seoul, the timeline is based on the north american school system, with the high school second semester beginning in late january/early february. not accurate to the way the school year works in south korea, but i'm pretending it's the same for the sake of this au. 
> 
> anyway, i hope you're enjoying this so far! there is definitely more to come


	3. Give Him a Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i said there would be yeonbin...here is some yeonbin :D
> 
> i have nothing else to say for myself other than that i'm sorry if my continuity sucks. i've been having a bit too much fun

One week later, Soobin walked through his empty café, bleary-eyed and yawning. He pulled his green Starbucks apron over his head and tied it around his waist, willing himself to wake up. Although it was early, he never really minded opening shifts, and his supervisor salary went a long way towards helping him pay off SU’s tuition costs. He loved his flute, and he would open every day if it meant he could keep playing with the best young musicians in the country.

The first light of sunrise was spilling through the windows when he went to unlock the door, casting a golden glow across the room. Outside, a few early risers passed by, and his first few customers were the usual business people starting their day and shift workers on their way home after working all night. Still, he was surprised to find there was one person in particular he was waiting to see, and he kept glancing at the door expectantly.

Sure enough, the bell over the door jingled at 6:15, and Yeonjun strode into the café. Despite being known for his style, Soobin always thought he looked a little ridiculous that early in the morning, with his stylish herringbone jacket thrown over sweat pants and his dyed hair tucked into a beanie. Soobin was sure that if anyone was around to recognize him at that hour, Yeonjun would never be caught dead looking like that.

Despite his outfit, Yeonjun still walked up to the counter like he was on a red carpet, and that confidence was one of the things that always made him memorable.

“Hey handsome,” Yeonjun said, leaning on the checkout counter. “I’m sure you already know what I want.”

Soobin shook his head, but he grinned. Yes, his confidence made him memorable, but so did his audacity. Only Yeonjun would insist on flirting with him that early in the morning, and there was something weirdly endearing about that.

When he’d last seen Taehyun, he hadn’t told him the full story about how he knew Yeonjun. He’d been trying to prove a point about giving Beomgyu a chance, but he’d been dodging Yeonjun’s advances since he’d become supervisor a couple months before.

The first time they met, Yeonjun walked in and ordered an iced americano, then took a second look at Soobin and said no, he’d rather have the cute barista make him something special. At the time, Soobin had rolled his eyes and walked away to start making his drink when Yeonjun called him back.

“Aren’t you going to ask my name for the cup?” Yeonjun had asked, pouting.

At the time, Soobin had wanted to laugh. Everyone knew the members of Blue Hour, but he decided to humour him and asked his name anyway.

“How about ‘Baby’?” Yeonjun had said, winking at Soobin.

Soobin had scoffed, simply written ‘Yeonjun’ on the cup, and walked away to make his drink. He felt like writing pet names on a random idol’s cup was a good way to get himself sued for sexual harassment, and there was no way he was going to encourage Yeonjun to keep being weird. For ‘something special’, Soobin made Yeonjun an iced americano with a vanilla flavour shot — basic, but still sweet and delicious.

After one sip, Yeonjun had made a show of saying how good it was and dropped a tip in the tip box before leaving. Every time after that, he always told Soobin to make his special drink, and he always made Soobin ask what name he wanted on the cup. He cycled through “sexy”, “handsome”, “sweetie”, “honey”, “gorgeous” and a bunch more with an astonishing sense of creativity. What mortified Soobin the most about the whole thing was the question of whether Yeonjun had immediately read him as queer from the first day or if he just thought he was hot enough to hit on a boy he didn’t know and get away with it.

That morning, Soobin made Yeonjun his iced americano with the vanilla shot as usual and wrote ‘Yeonjun’ on the cup. When Yeonjun came to grab the drink, he pouted at the name.

“When are you going to play along with my cute names?” Yeonjun whined. “Aren’t we friends?”

Soobin couldn’t help but laugh. “Your cute names are going to get me fired someday. Besides, don’t you have a dance practice to get to or something?”

Yeonjun stuck his tongue out at him. “You’re the supervisor and you’re the only one here, so you’d have to fire yourself. Next time, I’m expecting a more creative excuse.”

Yeonjun grabbed his drink and turned to leave, but not without stopping to drop a folded napkin into the tip box.

“Make sure you check those tips before your baristas get here,” Yeonjun called, and then he disappeared out the door.

Soobin smirked. _He really is unbelievable_ , he thought, but he went to pull the napkin out of the tip box anyway. When he unfolded it, he found that Yeonjun had written down his full name and phone number, followed by the words ‘text me’ with a heart drawn beside them.

_What a stupid, reckless idol_ , Soobin thought, but he re-folded the napkin and tucked it into his pocket anyway.

***

That afternoon, Taehyun sat next to Minji on the stage of Gangnam Academy’s large auditorium. The bright stage lights shone down over the entire senior class of music students as they set themselves up for their first full rehearsal. After a month of getting themselves familiar with the music they’d have to play for the concert, Mr. Kim had finally decided it was time for the instrumental and vocal students to start rehearsing together. With the full orchestra and vocalists working together, the regular band rooms hadn’t been big enough, so they’d be taking over the stage for the days when everyone rehearsed together.

In his usual spot at the front of the first violins, Taehyun was hyper focussed on getting his sheet music set up on the music stand and tuning his instrument. Minji rosined her bow. Mr. Kim was milling around the sides of the stage, trying to get a mic set up so that all the students could hear him well when the rehearsal began. At the front corner of the stage, the vocal students were getting themselves into position on a set of risers, and Taehyun was doing his best to ignore them.

Beside him, Minji was waving to someone, and he looked up, his curiosity getting the better of him. He followed Minji’s gaze and saw Kai wave back to her and give her a thumbs up. Beomgyu, who was in position next to Kai in the center of the top riser, caught Taehyun looking and winked at him. Taehyun pretended not to notice and turned back to look at Minji, but he couldn’t help seeing a few of his classmates staring at him as they tried to figure out who had caught Beomgyu’s attention.

“Looks like you and Kai are actually friends now,” Taehyun observed.

Minji shrugged. “He’s a good composition partner. I mean, he does have production credits on Blue Hour’s actual albums, so he’s really helped me out. He can be kind of awkward, but he’s actually pretty cool. And don’t pretend Beomgyu didn’t just wink at you. What’s up with that?”

Taehyun grabbed Minji’s rosin from where she’d put it on their music stand and ran it along his bow, trying to distract himself from the touch of heat rising up in his ears.

“I have no idea,” Taehyun said quietly, letting the hum of students around him drown out his voice. “In theory class today he complimented me on my presentation and told me I looked handsome in my uniform, even though I always look like this. It’s like he’s given up on trying to get me to talk to him so he’s trying to flatter me instead. Do you think he’s messing with me? Like, do think he knows I’m…the way I am?”

Minji frowned, considering. “There’s no way he could know, and even if he did, I don’t think he’s messing with you. He’s an idol so he already gets enough hate from the internet about being feminine when he performs, so I doubt he’d come for you for your orientation.”

“When I saw Soobin, he said he probably wants to just be friends, but it’s weird. Seoyun stopped me in the hall today to ask if I was friends with Beomgyu now and I completely froze up. What was I supposed to say? Not really but I guess he thinks we are? It’s like we’re in some other dimension where people think I’m cool because an idol decided to pay attention to me.”

Minji laughed. “People already liked you, Taehyun. You just never noticed before. Be honest with yourself, though, would you really rather he went back to not talking to you at all?”

As Taehyun considered his answer, Mr. Kim stepped out onto the front of the stage and called for everyone’s attention. The students picked up their instruments to get ready to play, the whole auditorium falling silent as they waited for Mr. Kim’s instructions.

While Taehyun ran through the songs, he found he wasn’t sure how to answer Minji’s question. As annoying as it was, and as hard as it was to admit it, there was a small part of himself that actually _liked_ Beomgyu’s attention. It was a bit petty, but there was something satisfying about having the attention of someone everyone else wanted when he hadn’t even gone looking for it in the first place. He couldn’t help being skeptical about Beomgyu’s motivations, but it did make his life a little more interesting. Besides, he figured that none of it would matter after they both graduated in a few months anyway.

The rest of the rehearsal went by without incident. They concentrated mostly on the first half of the concert, rehearsing three main pieces without going into some of the small group performances and solos. As the concert master and top of the strings class, Taehyun had a solo section in one of the pieces during the second half of the show, as did Beomgyu as top of the vocal class, and a couple of other particularly gifted students. At that time, Taehyun was glad he still had a few weeks before they’d start formally rehearsing solos. He was a bit nervous about performing in front of everyone by himself, so he was glad to have more time to practice and get comfortable with his section of the music.

When the rehearsal ended for the night, Mr. Kim thanked the class for their hard work and told everyone to return their music stands to the band and strings rooms, as the dance students would be using the stage the following school day. Taehyun gently returned his violin to its case. He was hoping to get out of the school quickly and without drawing any more attention to himself, but those hopes were quickly dashed when Mr. Kim approached him with a small box of mics and other audio equipment, Kai following along behind him with a second box.

“Taehyun, would you mind helping take these to the music storage closet?” Mr. Kim asked, handing Taehyun the box. “Kai’s never been in there before, so I figured you could help show him where these go.”

“No problem, Mr. Kim,” Taehyun said. He smiled, but he was cursing internally. Being Mr. Kim’s favourite student was starting to have some real disadvantages.

He shot Minji a last look that said “save me”, knowing she’d probably be gone by the time he returned to grab his stuff from the stage, and made his way to the hallway, Kai following along close behind. The music closet wasn’t too far from the backstage door, but it might as well have been the other side of the school. He had no idea what to say to Kai and was a little bit surprised when he spoke up.

“So, that rehearsal went well, didn’t it?” Kai said casually.

“Yeah, not too bad,” Taehyun replied. “You guys sounded pretty good.”

Kai looked a bit surprised at the compliment, and Taehyun was a bit surprised that he’d said it, but it was true. The vocalists had sounded great when they sang with the whole orchestra.

“Thanks,” Kai said. “I guess we’ve had a ton of practice.”

At that point, the two arrived at the music closet. Taehyun shifted the box he was carrying to one hand and reached out to open the door.

Kai looked at Taehyun, confused. “Wait, isn’t it locked?”

Taehyun laughed. “Mr. Kim always forgets to lock the door since he only ever goes in here when we need stuff for rehearsals. If anyone ever needs something during class he just sends me with a key, and I lock it for him.”

Sure enough, Taehyun turned the handle and the door opened with no problem. The small room was filled with shelves stacked with music books, spare rosin of various sizes, boxes of spare strings, and stage equipment. Taehyun directed Kai to the middle shelf in the back left corner, and the two set their boxes down with the other audio equipment. As they left and Taehyun shut the door behind them, Kai spoke up again.

“Well, what was easy enough,” he observed.”

Taehyun started walked back towards the auditorium. “Yeah. At the beginning of the year the closet was a mess and Minji and I got sick of having to find stuff for Mr. Kim, so we skipped class and organized it one day. It’s way easier to find stuff now.”

“You two seem really close,” Kai said. “Do you…do you mind that we’ve been hanging out a lot lately?”

Taehyun stopped walking and side-eyed Kai. “Yeah, she’s my best friend. Of course we’re close. What do you mean?”

He suspected that either Kai thought he was dating Minji — which people often did — or Kai had a crush on her and wanted to ask him how she felt. Either of those things seemed equally ridiculous to Taehyun.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Kai said, throwing his hands up defensively. “Minji’s just my project partner, but she seems cool and I like being her friend, but you don’t seem to like me very much, so…”

Kai trailed off, and Taehyun felt his face soften, a bit of guilt rising up in his chest.

“No, it’s not like that,” Taehyun said quickly. “Minji makes up her own mind about people. She’d kick my ass if I told her not to hang out with someone just because I don’t like them. And it’s not that I don’t like you. You seem pretty nice. It’s just—"

“It’s Beomgyu, isn’t it?” Kai said quietly.

Taehyun was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He was struck by the urge to say he didn’t actually dislike Beomgyu, then got confused about how that could be his gut response.

“He’s really not that bad, I swear,” Kai continued. “I know it can seem like he’s trying too hard to be perfect and cool like any other idol, but he’s really not like that. He’s just trying to make everyone happy.”

“Did he put you up to this?” Taehyun asked.

Kai shook his head and started walking again. “No. He’s just one of my best friends, and I want the best for him.”

A moment later, the two got back to the stage, and they separated. Kai immediately went to Beomgyu and threw his arm around his shoulders, and Beomgyu smiled at him. Watching them together, Soobin’s words rang through Taehyun’s mind.

_Maybe you should give him a chance…I’m just saying you shouldn’t judge him before you get to know him_.

And Taehyun thought that if Beomgyu had a friend like Kai, maybe Soobin was right.

***

It was dark in Soobin’s small bachelor apartment, the only light coming from the lamp on his bedside table and the streetlight outside his window. He sat cross-legged on his bed, his phone in his hand and Yeonjun’s napkin sitting in front of him. He’d been debating texting the number all day, but he hadn’t. He’d managed to add it to his contacts, but even then, he hesitated to send a message.

_What if it’s a joke, and he just gave me some random number?_ Soobin wondered. _What if I try to talk to him and he has no idea who I am, or this is a number to a burner or decoy phone and not his personal number? Do idols do that?_

Another part of him wondered if he’d been reading Yeonjun all wrong and he had never been flirting with him at all, if it was just his sense of humour. And he questioned his own motivations — what exactly did he want to get out of trying to talk to Yeonjun more? He supposed it was largely curiosity. Yeonjun was kinda hot. He was funny and always pretty kind to him, and he had nice lips.

He told himself not to expect anything, that idols weren’t supposed to date anyway, and that there was nothing wrong with just talking. He picked up his phone and started typing a message.

_SB: Hey it’s Soobin_

He hit send. It was a safe start. No risk if it turned out the number wasn’t Yeonjun’s after all. But a response came a moment later, and his phone screen lit up.

_YJ: the cute barista?_

Soobin smirked.

_SB: Yes…_

_YJ: if it’s really you, what’s my order?_

_SB: You don’t even know what your order is :P You never asked me_

_YJ: alright it’s definitely you. just had to be sure before i embarrassed myself_

Soobin found himself grinning down at his phone, his confidence growing.

_SB: What’s there to be embarrassed about? We’re just talking_

_YJ: yeah, but i was gonna ask if you wanted to hang out sometime. i want to get to know you better_

_SB: Choi Yeonjun, Blue Hour’s legendary dancer, are you asking me on a date?_

_YJ: haha only if that’s what you want it to be ;)_

Blood rushed to his ears and his cheeks, and Soobin felt his heart leap. When he’d told Taehyun to give idols a chance, he hadn’t exactly meant to do that by dating one. But here he was, encouraging an idol he’d been passively shooting down for months. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but he was ready to see where this went.


End file.
